“Lease dated 2nd of June, 1743 from John Bagot to William Neville, for 3 lives renewable forever, at the yearly rent of £6 : 15: 0 late Irish currency, and £3: 7: 6 like currency, renewable fine of the fall of each life.”

“Twenty small cabins, yards, and gardens in Forge-lane, Mountmellick, with two fields and part of a garden in the occupation of Robert Fale. The last renewal of this lease is dated 21st February, 1854, from Thomas Neville Bagot and James Grant to Alexander Bewley and Henry Bewley, and is for the lives of Albert, Edward, Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, and Prince Arthur, all of whom are living.”

I have a copy of the lease from 1743 where William Nevil, the elder, a cloatheir named his three sons, Henry, William and Joseph. William was married the first time in 1702 to Elizabeth Pleadwell, and the second time in 1719 to Anne Atkinson.

I have been trying to figure out exactly where the land was, but from the original lease it was a little hard. Using a current map of Mountmellick – “Main street upper” is now Patrick Street. “Pound Street” is now O’Moore Street. “Forge Lane” is now Emmet Street. “Chapel Lane” is now Chapel Street.

Lot 21 contains the 20 small cabins, yards and gardens. I can not wait to go to Mountmellick and now I can walk the land that William leased in 1743!

I just love land records and maps – they add so much to genealogy research!

The signature of James Nevill of Wigam from 1808! I attended the National Genealogy Society Conference in St. Charles Missouri. I have been doing genealogy for a long time! I can still walk away with new ideas! David Rencher asked, … Continue reading →

Witnessed by Thomas Pim of Tully lying in the County of Kildare Gentleman and Robert Pim of the same town and county farmer.

I have found some old documents that help me understand a little more about what life was like for my family in Ireland.

No. 128121

Nevill to Wyly

To the Register appointed for Registering Deeds 128121 A Memorial of Deed for Lease and Release bearing date respectively the seventeenth and eighteenth day of December one thousand seven hundred fifty five made between John Nevill of Mountmellick in the Queens County, Weaver of the one part and William Wyly of Gilltown in the County of Kildare farmer of the other part.

John Bagot of the Kings County Gentleman did by indenture of lease bearing date the second day of June one thousand seven hundred and forty three for the consideration therein mentioned _ to farm let unto the said William Nevill _ tenaments and crofts near the town of Mountmellick to hold for and during the natural life and lives of Henry Nevill, William Nevill and Joseph Nevill sons of said William Nevill and the survivor and survivors of theirs at the yearly rent of six pounds fifteen shillings a year.

Said deed of release mentioned which said deed of ___ gave this Memorial are Witnessed by Thomas Pim of Tully lying in the county of Kildare Gentleman and Robert Pim of the same town and county farmer.

I learned last summer that my Nevill/Neville family from Mountmellick were Irish Quakers. I am still working on this amazing family. Finding documents with witnesses and signatures are all pieces of their life. One deed mentions that William Nevill was a clothier and that deed also names three of William’s sons: Henry, William and Joseph. There was also a son from William’s first marriage.

I am still working to transcribe these documents. But what a great project! A deed from 1755!

First, I found the Irish connection for my mother’s Cooney ancestors from Mullingar. Thomas and Bridget Cooney immigrated to America about 1862 with their two young sons. I traveled to Ireland twice with my parents (1994 & 1999). I had found cousins for my father, but my mother was upset because I could not find any cousins for her! I didn’t give up, and it finally paid off this summer. I had found a post for a Cooney from Curraghmore, County West Meath. I met with Tom and we finally figured out that we are related! The reason I could not find them earlier – his family moved from Mullingar to Dublin about 1900! So when I was researching in 1994 – nobody in the Family History Center knew about the Cooney family that moved to Dublin in 1900! I would have not found the connection without being able to Google the family and where they used to live.

Second, I found a deed for a William Nevill from Mountmellick, Queens County (Laois). I had the oral tradition, from the cousins in Ireland that our William Nevill had moved to Tullamore about 1798. I found the “Irish Deeds Project” that is posted on Titter and Facebook. I had a young woman from Tipperary go to Dublin to get a copy of the deed. I attended the ACE genealogy class at UCC in July and then had time to do additional family research. I was able to go to the Quaker Library in Dublin and they gave me 76 entries for Nevill & Neville. In October I took my Irish Genealogy class in Salt Lake City. Part of the class includes a 30 minute private session with the instructor. I laid all of my documentation out and where I thought the families connected….then I asked, “What do you think?” David replied, “It doesn’t get any better than this!” In the documents that I had gotten from the Quaker Library were the marriage records for William Nevill of Mountmellick – the first marriage was in 1702 and after Elizabeth Pleadwell died William married a second time in 1719 to Anne Atkinson. William would have been at least 21 at the time of his first marriage. How did I figure out it was the same person? He named his parents on both records!

Third, I was able to expand my husbands Mulvihill family. I had found information while in Salt Lake City, but could not find the books, on-line or in America. I was able to go to the County Kerry Library and get copies of the articles. Timothy Mulvihill lived in Kilbaha South, County Kerry with his wife Johanna Connor and eight children. Timothy and all eight children ended up in Kansas City by 1870. Many of these Irish left very little information about their life in Ireland. What fun to discover an article about the Mulvihill family from the time period that they lived there.

So what will happen in 2015? I have no idea, but I am excited and ready! My wish for all working on their family history – I wish you a “Very Happy New Year”!

When you work on a family for many years you think you have found everything. I started asking questions about my family in 1962. My grandmother was Mary Veronica Neville. She was born in 1893 in York Nebraska and was the daughter of John Neville who was born in Lynally in Feb 1847. John was left behind with an older brother Joseph Neville when their parents Abraham and Margaret Neville left for America in 1850.

My first trip to Ireland was in 1990 and we visited Tullamore, and that is where I found I had cousins still living west of the castle walls. I have found this family in Griffiths Valuation, the Tithe Applotment Books and a 1802 Church of Ireland census for Lynally. Matt Mooney told me the family had moved to Tullamore about 1798 from Mountmellick.

This summer I found a deed for William Nevill of Mountmellick. The deed identified William as a ‘clothier’ and named his three sons: Henry, William and Joseph. I discovered that they were Quakers and I visited the Quaker Library in Dublin. William married Elizabeth Pleadwell in 1792 and after she died he married Anne Atkinson in 1719. I take Irish genealogy class in Salt Lake City every fall. I laid out the deed and where I thought my Neville family connected to William Nevill of Mountmellick.

If William married the first time in 1702, he would have to be at least 21 years of age. I know that my William was married twice because he named his parents on both marriage documents!

So now I have a signature of William Nevill of Mountmellick, the son of Henry and Mary Nevill. This is nine generations for me back into Ireland.

Have you ever wished you could spend a day with one of your ancestors? I often wish I could sit down and ask them about how they lived, why they moved and what was their life like.

My first visit to Ireland I learned about William Nevil/ Neville. Family oral tradition is that William moved from Mountmellick in Queens County to Tullamore to help build a castle. Mountmellick had been the home for the Nevill family from about 1700.

This summer I attended the Ancestral Connections Conference at UCC. On Wednesday afternoon Dr. Jane Lyons and John Nangle talked about cemeteries and headstones. John brought all the tools that they would have used. These are the same tools that a stone mason would use to build a castle. I took photos of all of the tools.

The next week when I was in Tullamore I visited Charleville Castle again. I really noticed the beautiful stone work around the large double doors. It would take a master craftsman to carve such delicate lines in stone – in 1800!

“William, why did you move 14 miles from Mountmellick to Tullamore?” I can see in a 1802 church census you have a wife and four children – Jane, Joseph, Abraham & William. Building this castle would take a long time and you have a family to support.

The next record that I have found William in is the Lynally Glebe the 1828 Tithe Applotment Books. William’s last name is now spelled ‘Neville’ and he is renting 46 acres! That is a lot of land at that time. I can also see that by the time of Griffith’s Valuation – William is no longer there, but Jeremiah and Jacob are taking care of the Neville land. (note- In 1856 they are listed as Jeremiah Kelly and Jacob Kelly. In the 1863 Cancel Book it is corrected back to Jeremiah and Jacob Neville.)

Genealogy is a journey taken one step at a time. Starting with yourself and going back one generation at a time. This photo is an excellent example of going on this journey. You never quite know where you are going when you begin the search backwards.

I have had a lot of people say, “Oh, I am descended from …….!” They might be, but start with yourself and take one step at a time. Let the records and documents lead the way. Oral traditions are good, but not proof!

I took this photo on the Ring of Berra in Ireland. My genealogy journey is exciting because I don’t know exactly where I will end up. Today I was doing research in the National Library of Ireland. One set of records that I really wanted is no longer available! Due to the fight for Irish Independence in 1922. But I did get a couple of ideas of other record groups to search. Trouble is it is going to take some time to really research those record groups. I need to look at the Quaker meeting minutes for Mountmellick and some deeds for the same area for the Nevil or Neville connection!